OMRO - The Omro dance team’s motto for this season was "Let’s Make History."

That’s just what it did, Teana Larson, the only senior on the team, said. Omro earned its first state title in Division 3 kick at the Wisconsin Association of Cheer/Pom Coaches State Championship in La Crosse on Feb. 2.

“It’s (the dance team) very much based on history and legacy,” head coach Daleen Treleven said. “The Omro Dance Team is not a new thing. It’s been around for 20-plus years, at least. Especially this year, we really leaned on our history and our legacy to get us through.”

Larson’s favorite routine on the dance team is kick. It’s a little less stressful, and she enjoys the flexibility and choreography of the routine. This year’s state-winning kick routine was a constant work-in-progress, Treleven said.

There was a rough draft of the kick routine, inspired by Madonna’s “Vogue,” Treleven said. As the 10-month dance season progressed, however, the team decided to change the routine with competition season approaching. They relearned the state-winning routine in October.

Larson’s favorite memories from her final year of dance team were always in the circle leading up to a performance. It’s a time that the dance team releases all of its nerves with a unique chant before they take the floor.

“The chant is, ‘I love to dance. I love to dance. I love to dance,’ ” Larson said. “Then for each routine, we switch it up. For kick this year, it was ‘know my name.’ ”

This year’s chant was inspired by the kick routine song, “Fame.” It went well, with the team’s goal to make history, Larson said. They wanted everyone to know their name.

The kick routine, featuring the seven dance team members, is a sassy number, according to Larson. At state, the dancers performed the two-minute number flawlessly, Treleven said.

Omro won their first state title in Division 3 kick Feb. 2 in La Crosse.(Photo11: Teana Larson)

The team hadn’t made the state championships in two years, and watching their qualifying performance at regionals, the four-year head coach said she could see the magic return.

“There was not a doubt in my mind that they didn’t pull off a first-place routine,” Treleven said.

Campbellsport dance team wins another first-place hip hop routine

Hip hop is Campbellsport’s thing. For 16 consecutive years, the dance program has qualified for state, and in the past 12 years, Campbellsport earned six state championship titles. All of them have been in hip hop.

On Feb. 2, Campbellsport won a first-place title in its Division 3 hip hop routine.

“This routine is probably one of the hardest routines I have ever choreographed before,” choreographer and coach Amberly John said.

Coach Becky Warnecke said the difficulty of John’s choreography, including a section where the dancers perform a head stand, really impressed the judges. It was high energy with a lot of style, which made the dancers passionate to perform.

“They were dancing with their heart, and their feet followed,” Warnecke said.

The Campbellsport dance program won state in their Division 3 hip hop routine.(Photo11: Becky Warnecke)

The dance featured difficult synchronization that impressed John in the team’s state performance. The routine required precise movements that coincided with the music’s changing tempo and counting.

“Our routine this year had so many different aspects. We have grunge, fast parts, slow motion sections and a lot of cool tricks and stunts,” senior Olivia Burich said in an email.

“We have the best choreographer that we could have ever asked for,” senior Taylin St. Mary added in an email. “She knows exactly what the judges want and puts her all into routines that she creates that we get to bring alive and show off.”

The team learned the routine in July over a four-day long camp with eight-hour days.

After winning a state title in their sophomore year, all St. Mary and Burich wanted was to reach that success again. When they heard Campbellsport’s name called in first place, it was a culminating moment in their dance careers.

“I think it was awesome how humble our girls were about winning state again. Yes, it was about the competition, but I think the chemistry with the team is what actually made them win state,” John said.

The drive back from Eau Claire to Campbellsport was a celebratory journey for the team. Campbellsport’s dance trophies earned their own seats on the school bus.

The Campbellsport police and Campbellsport and Eden fire departments led the girls through town in a victory parade to the high school. The dance team rode in the back of a black pickup truck while fans waved their signs and cheered for the state champions.

“The dance team family is like no other,” Warnecke said.

Oshkosh West also competed in Division 1 kick. The team placed fifth. Laconia dance team competed in Division 5 pom and finished sixth.